Truth In Shadows
by masterfen17
Summary: A young girl wakes up to find she has no memory. What she finds is a darkness that should have stayed buried. Can she really live knowing what kind of past she lived though? Will she be able to contain the darkness inside of her?
1. Waking Up

The sensation in the air around her was of peace and serenity.  
It was as if she was floating, or enjoying a deep sleep. Whether time moved fast or slow it was undeterminable. Nothing seemed to matter in this place. It meant nothing.  
She felt as if she could stay here forever. Sleeping was the thing she ever did. There seemed to be no hunger, no thirst, and no desire of any kind. It was always dark in this place, but she couldn't remember anything else...

Suddenly, all she felt was pain. It wracked her body, burned her skin. Everything turned a bleached white color. She tried to shut her eyes, but she couldn't escape the intensity of it.  
"Can you hear us?" A voice asked, cutting through the blinding light. She pushed it away, wanting to return to the happy bliss of nothing.  
"Miss don't fight us," the voice said. Strong hands gripped her arms and held her down on some type of uncomfortable bed.

A foul scent filled her nose. It was overpowering all of her senses. It was the smell of burning wood and something else, something rotten and decaying.  
Blinking open her eyes, she saw a man standing above her, wearing a blue shirt and rubber gloves. It was the man who belonged to the voice. He had black hair and dark skin. He was putting a hanging pouch of liquid onto a metal rod. A thin tube fed from it into her arm. It hurt, but there was too much going on around her to notice.  
"Can you hear me?" The man asked again.  
The girl nodded.  
"Good," the man said. "We're taking you to a hospital right now. We'll be there in a few minutes. You've got some minor burns on your forearms and bruises on your body, but you'll be okay. Just rest and you'll be alright."  
She closed her eyes, wanting desperately to go back to the kind place where nothing mattered. Deep down, she knew that she would never again be able to return to the safe place in her mind. Though she couldn't go there she was able to fall into a deep sleep.

.

"Hey," a gentle voice whispered. "It's time to wake up."  
Groggily, she opened her eyes. The light here wasn't as strong, it didn't burn her eyes.  
She realized that she was in a hospital room, lying in a bed, covered with a warm blanket. A nurse stood next to the bed, wait for her reply.  
"How are you feeling?" the nurse asked, she looked genuinely concerned.  
"Fine," the girl answered, in a voice she didn't recognize.  
"My name is Sherry," the nurse told her. "You're in Saylesville, Wisconsin. The date is Tuesday, July 16, 2007. You were in a fire accident, but you weren't hurt  
badly. We tried to find identification on you and we've looked through dozens of missing person's reports and we can't find anyone matching your description. Can you tell me your name?"  
Her name, her name. What was it? The girl though, searching every part of her mind and memory for the answer, but she only drew a blank.  
Then it hit her. She couldn't remember anything. No memories came to her mind, any familiar faces or people. It was as if there was just a giant gaping hole in her mind where her memory belonged.  
"I...I can't," the girl said softly.  
"Why not?" The nurse asked kindly.  
"I don't know it," she admitted.  
The nurse looked skeptical.  
"I'm going to check your bandages," the nurse told her.  
She looked down and saw bandages cover her arms, from her wrists to her elbows.  
The nurse cut the tape holding the cloth bandages together on her left arm and slowly unwound it. Burns lined the underside of the girl's forearms. As the nurse  
unwrapped the girl's right arm, she saw almost the same thing. They looked like they could match. The nurse said nothing and wrapped the girl's forearms in new bandages.  
The girl just saw confused, staring at the bandages, at a loss for any words at all.  
"We think you might have fallen onto some hot embers when you were trying to escape from the church," the nurse explained.  
"Church?" The girl said as she looked up at the nurse.  
"That's where the fire happened. The best answer the police can come up with as to why you were in there is that you went in there to save the pastor who was bound near you."  
The nurse looked down and when she spoke there was a deep sadness in her tone. "Unfortunately he couldn't be saved. Pastor Robert Carmichael was a good man. It was hard to lose him."  
Silence descended on the room as the nurse seemed to get lost in her thoughts. The girl just waited patiently. It was obvious the nurse had known the pastor. They probably belonged to the same church.  
The nurse seemed to suddenly shake herself out of the daze. "I'm sorry about that," she said. "I shouldn't be getting so caught up."  
Her expression changed to a happier look. "The truth is sweetie, you have amnesia. You can't remember anything about you or your life before the accident. We're not completely sure as to what caused it. It's possible that a beam fell from the church ceiling and hit you good on the head, jumbling things up a bit. But it really is a miracle that you can function the way you are, most people would have difficulty doing normal things. Yet you don't. Are you okay?"  
The girl looked completely lost and without hope at what she had just been told.  
"Yeah," was all she could say.  
The nurse went around to fluff up the girl's pillows a bit for something to do while the things she had told the girl sunk into her mind as she tried to make sense of them.  
"Now we need something around here to call you by other than 'the girl with amnesia'," the nurse said bluntly with a smile, trying to make the girl laugh.  
The girl didn't respond. She still held the look of utter confusion on her face.  
The nurse went on. "How about Sarah, or Alicia, or maybe even Lydia?" She asked.  
None of those names seemed to stick with the girl. They didn't fit her.  
"Actually you remind me of a friend that I had when I was growing up. Her name was Kasey Locks and she looked like you," the nurse told her.  
"It's fine," the girl said, cutting off any more suggestions.  
"Oh alright,'' said the nurse. She smiled brightly, but the girl could tell it was forced. "Good. Then Kasey it is. I'll go and get you some breakfast."  
The girl, now Kasey, nodded and watched the cheery nurse walk out the door. She realized now that she was hungry as her stomach rumbled at the thought of food.  
Looking out the window, thoughts flooded Kasey's mind. Who was she before the accident? Did she have a life, a family, people who loved her? How did she end up in a burning church?  
None of the questions had answers at the moment, but Kasey was determined to find them soon.  
It was hard to believe that everything was gone from her memory, wiped away like footprints in the sand.  
Sherry returned twenty minutes later with a plate full of warm food, eggs, a few pancakes, toast, jelly and a tall glass of milk.  
"I made it myself," said the nurse as she set the plate on a tray next to Kasey's bed. "I know this hospital food isn't the best so I decided to make a little something. Enjoy."  
Kasey couldn't wait to eat.  
The nurse walked out and Kasey ate her breakfast in silence, disturbed only a bit by the hustle from the many people in the hospital tending to their duties.  
When Kasey finished she walked to the window slowly. She still felt weak from the drugs they had probably given her.  
Stupid gown, Kasey thought as she felt a draft. Grabbing a blanket, she walked back to the window.  
It appeared she was on the second floor as Kasey looked at the ground below. The hospital was on a spacious lot with well kept landscaping. The police station was located just across the street. The hospital had to only be a block from the main road in town. A building, larger than most was just a few blocks away. It looked like a library from what Kasey could tell.  
Someone knocked on the door and Kasey spun around to see who it was, not liking be taken by surprise.  
The two men standing in the doorway seemed to take up the entire frame, though one stood behind the other.  
They were both tall. The guy standing behind his partner was the taller of the pair by at least two inches, maybe more. He had a slender face and dark brown eyes. His dark hair was combed back from his face to give of the professional look. He had a lean body. Kasey thought he reminded her of a basketball player.  
His partner was a bit different. He looked just a little over six feet with a body more muscular than his partner's. He had a pointed chin and full lips. His dark blond hair was cut short and styled up. From what Kasey could see, he had lighter eyes, probably a dark green.  
Both were dressed in dark business suits and carrying brief cases. Kasey also couldn't deny that they were both very handsome.  
"Good morning miss," the dark blond one greeted openly. "We're with the insurance company that St. Catherine's Church belonged to. We'd just like to ask you a few questions if you don't mind."  
Kasey nodded and they stepped inside the room.  
"We spoke with your doctors and they said you have amnesia," the taller partner said in a softer tone. His voice was smooth. "Can you tell us your name?"  
They seemed nice enough. A conversation wouldn't hurt.  
"Kasey," she answered.  
"Hi Kasey," the taller one said with a warm smile.  
Kasey couldn't help it, she smiled back.  
"So miss..." the blond one started, looking for a last name.  
"Just Kasey," she told them.  
"Miss Kasey," he continued. "Can you tell us anything you remember about the fire?"  
Biting her lip, Kasey tried hard to come up with a good answer for them, though it was more for herself.  
"I really just remember a lot of heat and coughing on smoke. And then I was brought here," she told them.  
"Anything before the fire?" The taller one asked.  
"No. My mind just draws a blank," Kasey answered.  
She noticed that neither one of them used their brief case. They appeared to be more for show. The blond guy looked uncomfortable in his suit.  
"New suit?" Kasey asked.  
"Yeah," he answered, laughing a bit, trying to be casual.  
"No...strange voices or flickering lights?" the partner continued.  
The question seemed odd. "No," Kasey answered.  
"We're just wondering if maybe it was something electrical," the blond guy explained, answering Kasey's skeptical look.  
"Oh," she said, part of her still unconvinced.  
"Do you remember anything about the pastor?" He asked.  
Don't they get it? Kasey wondered.  
"No, nothing," said Kasey. Her voice was stronger. She hoped it portrayed the annoyance she was feeling.  
"You sure?" The shorter partner ask, as if unconvinced by her answer.  
"Thank you for your time," the dark haired guy said before his partner could go on. The blond guy gave his partner a look.  
"Yes, thank you," he said smiling, though Kasey was sure it wasn't completely true.  
He walked from the room and his partner followed him out.  
Walking back to the window, Kasey waited for them to come out of the hospital. A few minutes later the two insurance guys walked out. The blond guy loosened  
his tie as he looked like he was discussing something with his partner. They walked to a black older car parked down a ways from the police station. The dark haired guy walked to the passenger's door. The other guy tossed his brief case into the back seat, not caring what happened and got into the car. He started it up, a low rumble Kasey heard even from her room and they drove off.  
The questions they asked were unusual, but they were nice for the most part and Kasey liked them, the taller one especially. He was kind and his partner seemed persistent.  
Kasey had the feeling it wouldn't be the last time she would see the young insurance workers.


	2. At the Church

Doctors and psychiatrists came regularly over the next few days to speak with Kasey. They asked her never ending questions Kasey gave empty answers. She knew no more than they did. After a while it became exhausting and ridiculous. It was as if Kasey could read their mind. No one believed her and they thought Kasey was hiding away dozens of secrets. They were all wrong.

Kasey would have given anything to remember a clue to her past. She strained her mind to the breaking point but nothing seemed to work. Nothing came back to her. It was as if someone had pushed "Delete" on her memory. She was actually amazed she could even speak.

A week after Kasey woke up in the hospital, she made a plan. Sick of the endless questions, forced smiles, and light conversations around her Kasey wanted to be treated like a person, not like some freak. So she decided she had to leave. If Kasey wanted answers she couldn't stay in the hospital, she already hated it enough. Kasey would just have to go out on her own.

By now she knew what time the nurses and doctors made their rounds. At 10:15 in the morning, Kasey slid out of her bed and stuck her head out of the room to look down at the nurse's station. The hospital was surprisingly quiet, even for a Tuesday.  
Silently Kasey made her way down the hall. She looked around the corner and saw only one nurse at the small station. She was facing away, working with something on the computer.

The hallway Kasey was in led down to more rooms. She had to turn down the hallway at the nurse's station to get anywhere.

Making sure the nurse was still looking away; Kasey got down on her knees and crawled next to the desk of the nurse's station, just out of view.

Kasey heard the nurse suddenly get up and she froze. Waiting for the sound of a creaking chair, Kasey looked around to make sure no one see her and started moving again.

Once Kasey was certain they couldn't stop her, she walked quickly down the hallway, looking for the employee's locker room.

Luckily the door was unlocked. Searching around she found a shirt, jacket, and a pair of sweatpants, and sneakers.

Kasey had almost walked out of the small locker room when she caught her reflection in a mirror.

Kasey had brunette hair that was long and had a wild look to it. Her eyes were a warm almond color and she had naturally arched eyebrows. A slender face, high cheekbones, and smooth lips added to give Kasey a look of natural beauty. She also had a lean body with toned arms and powerful legs. Overall, Kasey liked the way she looked.

Snapping her attention back to getting out, Kasey pushed open her door and walked to the front entrance. A few nurses gave her a smile as if she was a visitor. Kasey smiled and kept her head down as she walked out of the hospital that had become more of a prison.

Finally she was outside and took a deep breath of clean air. It felt invigorating, unlike the super clean scent of the hospital. Kasey was overcome with a sense of freedom.

Kasey walked to the library and got on a computer. She searched through as many missing person reports matching her description, as she could. None of them looked like her or fit Kasey's profile. To say she was disappointed was an understatement. Kasey was hoping to find some answers. Instead she only found more dead ends.

With no money and nothing on her, Kasey decided to just take a walk and clear her head. She didn't know where she was going; Kasey just had to go somewhere.

For a few blocks, Kasey walked with her hands in her pockets, thinking about the past week: waking up completely lost the kind nurse, the tiresome question, the charming and tall insurance man, and his cute, persistent partner.

The more Kasey thought about it, the more she came to the conclusion that neither of the two guys seemed to fit their parts. They both appeared uncomfortable in their business suits and the questions they asked didn't really pertain to an insurance claim. Maybe Kasey was being paranoid having her circumstances but she didn't think either one of them was an insurance investigator.

Something brushed against Kasey's leg in the breeze.

It was yellow police tape, the stuff they used around crime scenes to keep people back. Kasey's eyes followed the tape and she saw that it was wrapped around a large tree that stood in front of what was once a white wooden church. It didn't seem anything special, just the average one story small town church that every family packed themselves into on Sunday mornings.

Now it was gone, almost completely from the fire. It seemed only the bare frame of the church stood, if even that. Most of the roof was gone, except for a section in the back, some of the exterior walls stood. Burned pews filled the church. Kasey looked around to make sure no one was watching and she stepped inside the church to see more of the wreckage.

She had just stepped though the doorway when she heard a firm voice say, "Can I ask you what you're doing in here miss?"

Turning around casually, Kasey stayed calm as she looked at the face of an older police officer. He stood at the base of the steps, looking up at Kasey, with his thumbs hooked into his belt.

Kasey put on her best "innocent" act, which was like playing dumb. "Oh I was just seeing how bad the church burned," she explained.

"Well you might get hurt around here," the officer told her as he gestured for Kasey to come down.

"Okay," Kasey said as she smiled and walked past the officer and the church without looking back.

Guess I'll just have to come back tonight, Kasey resolved in her mind.  
Kasey slipped back into the hospital and noticed that three hours after she had left it was back to its usual busy routine, making it harder for Kasey to sneak in unnoticed. Putting on the different change of clothes she had been given form the hospital, Kasey stored the regular set under he bend and laid down as if she had been there the entire time. It seemed that her absence had gone unnoticed after Kasey waited twenty minutes for someone to come in and yell at her but it never happened. Kasey smiled at her stealth.

Since there was nothing else to do, Kasey took a nap. She ate dinner when it was brought to her and waited until just after 11:30 that night to sneak out again. Kasey got dressed and left without anyone noticing. Before she left, Kasey found a janitor's closet and "borrowed" a large flashlight to see in the dark.

Staying mostly in the shadows as Kasey walked, she made her way back to the church. The back door, or what was left of it, was her best option for entry if she didn't want to get caught, so Kasey went around and found a side door away from prying eyes.

Lucky for her the door was unlocked and Kasey silently crept inside.

Everything was badly burned. Kasey also knew nothing about the layout of churches, which only added to the list of things she currently knew nothing about.  
She was in a hallway; Kasey knew that much by the length and width of it. Kasey walked though a doorway into a charred office. Everything in it had burned up. Nothing was useful in the back of the church, as if it had been before the accident.

Off to the side of the room, Kasey saw a door, mostly burned off.

She pushed it open and it crumbled but led her to the main room of the church where services were held. Ash littered the floor. Wooden pews had been reduced to harmless crumbling embers. Even the decorated glass windows had broken under the heat. It was a sad sight to behold.

Kasey heard a muffled crunch behind her and whirled around to see what it was.  
Instead of flashing her light on a skittish animal like Kasey expected, she found herself staring down the double barrel of a shotgun. The blond insurance guy quickly lowered the gun.

"What the hell are you thinking?" Kasey demanded. She saw his partner standing tall as always, a few feet behind him. He held a large, dangerous gun at his side. A confused look was on his face, accompanying his partner's angered one.

"What am I thinking? What are you thinking, walking around at night in a dangerous building?"

"It looks like I'd have a better chance of getting shot!" Kasey returned, and then she looked down and lowered her voice. Both guys waited for her explanation.

"I had to see this place for myself, she what happened here," Kasey said. She moved her flashlight around and wasn't surprised to see even more destruction.

There was sadness in Kasey's voice when she spoke.

"I just...I didn't think it would be this bad," Kasey told them.

She looked around a bit more but brought her attention back to the guys, who she knew by now weren't even close to being insurance workers.

"And what are you two doing here at night, in the dark, walking around with guns?" Kasey asked, punctuating the last part.

The two guys exchanged a quick look.

"We're checking to see if it was arson," the blond guy said casually.

"With guns?" Kasey pointed out.

"You can never be too careful," he said sarcastically and with a smile.

She decided to lay it all out. "Seriously," she said. "Look I know there is no way either of you two are insurance guys. That much is obvious. Your questions, your  
cheap suits, the car-"

"Excuse me?" the blond guy interrupted. Kasey saw his partner roll his eyes like he had already heard what was coming. "What about the car?"

Kasey sighed. Obviously the car was his pride and joy.

"I'm just saying it doesn't look typical," she explained.

"How would you know?" said the blond guy suspiciously.

"You watch enough daytime TV. in that hospital and you learn a few things," said Kasey. The dark haired guy grinned.

"You're not insurance agents," said Kasey. "Just at least tell me your names."  
The dark haired guy stepped forward. "My name is Johnny Morran and this is my big brother Aiden."

Then Kasey noticed the moonlight flickering off of matching silver crosses the guys both carried in their hands. "What, are you hunting for ghosts?" Kasey joked.

The two brothers exchanged a look but didn't laugh. Kasey's smile faded from her face to become a look of disbelief.

"You guys are serious?" Kasey asked, extremely confused.

Johnny didn't look at her but nodded his head.

"Wow, are you guys off your meds?" Kasey asked sarcastically.

She turned around to walk away from the two nut jobs. If they were crazy, she

didn't want any part of it.

"Kasey wait!" Johnny called as he followed her.

Stopping, Kasey took and deep breath and turned to face him. Aiden had walked up to them, and stood next to Johnny.

"Look," said Aiden. "It's not as simple or crazy as it sounds."  
Kasey raised an eyebrow. "Oh really, because I would say this is definitely white padded room and straight jacket kind of material," she told them.

"Look you've just gotta trust us," Aiden said bluntly. "We've been doing this for a while so when generally know when something isn't right. And from what we've heard from you and police reports, something isn't adding up. Johnny and I aren't exactly sure what is going on but we mean to find out what."

To her, both Aiden and Johnny sounded crazy, but Aiden did have a point. Something didn't feel right about anything and there was enough evidence to back it up. She couldn't call the cops. Kasey knew if she did that, the answers she had been looking for would be gone. They didn't seem exactly like the crazy kind of people who lived in fantasy worlds all the time so Kasey decided to listen to them. If they had leads about what was actually was happening, Kasey wanted to know all of it.

"Fine," she said, looking Aiden directly in the eyes.  
"You're not going to walk out and call the cops?" Aiden asked, surprised by her sudden change of faith.

"Not yet," Kasey answered. "If you guys have a clue about what is going on, then I want to be in on this too. And I don't really think the cops are going to work hard to try and solve this."

Aiden chuckled to himself. "Yeah we know what you mean. Most of the stuff we do has been a lot of 'been there, done that' with the police in small towns. If it doesn't seem real, they don't bother."

"Do you trust us?" Johnny asked Kasey.

She looked into his eyes and saw the truth. He wasn't lying to her or playing games. Kasey knew she could trust him, it was almost a given. Kasey could put her faith in Johnny and she knew it wouldn't be misplaced. Johnny was one of those people who seemed like Kasey could trust her life with him.

"Yes," she answered.

Aiden saw whatever passed between them and rolled his eyes. Johnny had that sort of puppy dog eyes look that he gave people so they would trust him. It was always guaranteed to work. Personally it annoyed Aiden. He was more of the ''shoot first, questions later" type of guy.

Kasey took a deep breath. "So what are you guys doing here?" she asked.  
Aiden looked at Johnny then back to Kasey. "Basically we're look for anything that can give us a clue to what we're dealing with."

"Like what?" Kasey asked, completely lost.

"Anything that looks like it doesn't belong," Johnny told her.

"Strange burn marks, weird signs, salt smell, odd spots of blood," Aiden said. "Things like that."

It all sounded weird Kasey, but she went along anyway. She followed the brothers around as they checked through the different burns piles, looking for any signs of something that didn't look right. Eventually Kasey began to look on her own, though she was sure that if something that was evil or whatever was right in front of her, she would miss it completely.


	3. The Evil at the Church

Kasey was checking around the front of the church when the hair on the back of her neck stood up.

Turning around, she saw what had caused the chills.

It was a man. He looked to be taller than Johnny but was very lean. He had skin the color of pale cream that made his dark eyes look pure black. He hair was an inky color and cut at his chin. The man looked to be a little older than Aiden and was dressed in a sleek black suit. His appearance screamed money and danger. There was something about his presence that made Kasey wish she had something to fight with in her hand.

"Aiden," Kasey called. Neither brother turned around to look at her. They just continued to search through the church wreckage.

"Aiden, Johnny!" She called louder, but to no avail. It was as if they were ignoring her.

The man took a step toward Kasey and she took an instinctive step back.

"They can't hear you," said the strange man. "And if they were to turn around both of them would still see you searching around."

His voice was very deep, but smooth, like nothing Kasey had ever heard.

"Who are you?" Kasey demanded. The man smiled. It wasn't happy or warm like Johnny's. It was cold like the man knew something Kasey didn't.

"I wouldn't say it's a matter of who, but what," he said. His eyes flashed a bright golden color then returned to black. Kasey gasped. She knew he was something else.

Kasey had felt it before when he appeared out of nowhere. He was dark, what Aiden and Johnny had called "supernatural." Everything about him felt wrong. Kasey wanted to run, to move, but she couldn't. Part of her mind was screaming at her, but that part became silenced by a dark fear.

His face changed and became more serious, only adding to the startling effect of his entire self. "So it's really not you is it?" He asked. "What are you talking about?" Kasey asked him, confused even more by his question.

"I thought as much," he said. Kasey could have detected the sorrow in his voice had she not been listening to the many alarms in her head, telling Kasey to run and not look back. Still Kasey could not move and she wanted to know more of what the man had to say.

He looked down and began to stare off as if in a dream.

"Who are you?" Kasey asked him again. She was afraid but her need for answers to her questions was more important.

His attention snapped up at her as if amazed that she could still be talking by now. "It doesn't matter," he said. "The only thing that should matter to you right now is how very fortunate you have been.

"It appears that the old priest's words actually worked for once. You're finally free to live your pathetic human life again. No more sleeping in a nice cushioned world. You, little girl, are able to live again. Everything that you, or she rather, did in that time means nothing to you. You haven't the faintest clue about why those nine years taken from your life, like a missing chapter in a novel. It has all just disappeared from your memory." He paused and smiled again at Kasey.

"All except for the dreams."

Kasey's mouth dropped open slightly and her eyes widened at his words. How was it possible that he was able to know about the horrifying dreams and nightmares she had been having?

"Yes, I know," the man said arrogantly. "You don't think that with all the thing that happened we'd just let you walk away do you?" He added rhetorically.

So many questions sped through Kasey's mind. She couldn't find it possible to form them into actual words. The man continued on. "All those terrible dreams and visions running through your head of you killing those innocent people. Those dreams, haunting you because you killed them before they killed you," he said in a mock pitying tone.

He stopped even closer, until he had Kasey back up against a wall, his face and black eyes only inches from her. He leaned in slowly, making Kasey's heart race even faster, unsure of what he was going to do to her. He drew in close to Kasey.

She could feel his cold breath on her neck.

"They are all real," he whispered, sending his words echoing through Kasey's mind.

Then he disappeared. As fast as he had come, the evil man or thing was suddenly gone. He left Kasey frozen against the wall, letting the words sink into Kasey's memory forever.

That was when Johnny finally turned around and noticed Kasey's frightened expression. "Hey are you alright?" He asked as he started walking to her.

Aiden turned at Johnny's words. He too saw the look on Kasey's face and started toward her.

"It's just, this place, there's too much here," Kasey lied. Tears began to well up in her eyes and Kasey turned away.

"We should go," Johnny said. He started to lead Kasey out of the burned church. "We aren't finding much here."

Something passed from Aiden to Johnny as he looked at his younger brother. Kasey missed it completely. They dropped Kasey off at the hospital. Not a single word was spoken among any of them, which bothered Aiden, but he wasn't going to say anything.

Kasey listened to the rumble of the car as it drove down the street. Sneaking back into the hospital, Kasey fell into her bed and hoped desperately that she would be able to sleep without the nightmares.


	4. The Hideout

The demon from last night made Kasey jumpy and paranoid the next day. She feared that at any moment she would turn around and he would be standing just behind her with the evil grin on his face.

The doctors finally made the decision to move Kasey to a regular hospital room, deeming her under no need for further observation, but that didn't make Kasey feel any better. She wasn't any safer.

When people passed her room, Kasey held her breath until she was sure they wouldn't come in.

After a glass had shattered a few rooms down and Kasey had almost screamed, she forced herself to take it easy. Whoever the demon was, Kasey was sure he wouldn't come around here where so many people would see him. The demon hadn't attacked her then so Kasey had a feeling he would wait a while, for what, she didn't know.

The clock in the room read just after four in the afternoon. This place felt as if it was closing in on her. If that creature came back again Kasey wouldn't be able to fight it, she had no idea how. It wasn't safe here.

Grabbing for the small stash of clothes under the bed, Kasey got dressed and sat down. Electricity seemed to run through her body. She felt like a firecracker ready to go off.

Standing up, Kasey paced back and forth in her room and then finally walked out. She left no note, nothing to say she was gone. Kasey hoped the nurses would assume she was around the hospital somewhere. The usual route seemed like the best choice. She kept her head down as she walked quickly past the nurse's station, confident but not cocky that she would get past. From the corner of her eye, Kasey watched the different women. Not one moved to stop her.

Kasey walked outside and turned away from the hospital. She looked at the police station and kept going, not wanting attention focused on her.

Her mind was so caught up in her thoughts that she didn't hear or see the car coming down the street as she walked out into it. The car slammed on its brakes and Kasey flinched.

It was a big black car and luckily it stopped just before it hit her. Kasey breathed a sigh of relief. The car was close enough to touch. It was Aiden's car and Kasey wasn't surprised to see his pissed off expression when he got out.

"What the hell is wrong with you? Do you want to get killed?" He asked. Kasey heard the tone of seriousness in his voice.

"Well I'm not the one who almost ran over a pedestrian!" Kasey shouted back.

Johnny got out of the car and stepped in between Kasey and Aiden.

"Kasey what are you doing?" Johnny asked, his tone more calm than Aiden's.

"I can't stay here, I need to find out who I am," Kasey told him.

"Look we can help you, we know a place that's safe. We can take you there now," said Johnny.

"We can?" Aiden asked, with some sarcastic surprise.

Johnny gave his brother a look.

"Yes, we can leave now and we can be there in a day. It's a place where people like us, hunters, go. There we can research who you are and what happened," said Johnny.

Kasey didn't have any other choice.

"Okay fine," she said.

"Great," Aiden mumbled as he turned around and got back into the car. Johnny did the same and Kasey followed.

Kasey got in the backseat and Aiden wasted no time driving off. Once they had long ago left the city in the rearview mirror, Kasey decided to get some answers.

"So where are we going?" Kasey asked, breaking the tense silence. Neither brother was in a hurry to answer her question.

"Aiden," she said louder.

"Thayne, Colorado," answered Aiden, not looking back.

Like most things, Kasey didn't recognize the name.

"What's in Thayne?" Kasey asked. Aiden shifted his grip on the steering wheel before he spoke.

"It's sort of a safe place for hunters. To people who have no idea about the supernatural, it's just a bar but to hunters it's a good place to take a break without having to watch your back."

"So why do you look so annoyed when you talk about it?" asked Kasey, noting the uneasiness in Aiden voice.

Johnny gave Aiden a look.

Something that happened seemed to pass between them.

"What is it?" Kasey asked, knowing there was something there.

Aiden kept his eyes on the road. "The last time we stopped in, about six months ago, I was playing a game of poker and this guy was slipping cards out of his sleeve. So I called him on it. He went to hit me but I moved and..." Aiden trailed off.

"And so Aiden hit the owner's son in the nose," Johnny finished. "If I remember, you broke his nose didn't you Aiden?"

Johnny had a hint of a smile on his face. Aiden looked like he wanted to punch Johnny in the mouth.

"Thank you Johnny," Aiden said sarcastically.

"And so," Johnny said to Kasey, "we haven't been back since."

"Does this place have a name?" Kasey asked.

"The Hideout," answered Aiden.

"Creative," Kasey commented.

Aiden turned around to give Kasey a look and she slumped in the car's backseat. She crossed her arms and got ready for a long car ride.

Kasey woke up hours later. It was night. She pushed herself up from the sleeping position on the backseat and worked out a small kink in her neck. The car was parked in front of an old saloon. A sign reading "The Hideout" was illuminated in red letter. It had a Western look to it. Nice sign, Kasey thought. Why don't they just post a notice in the paper? She smoothed her hair down and got out of the Mustang.

Cars and trucks filled the parking lot. The area around the saloon was wooded and Kasey didn't see lights from any other businesses.

"Small town," mumbled Kasey, though she wasn't surprised.

No one was standing outside. It looked like everyone was inside enjoying the party. The windows were covered by a thin curtain, but the bar was still impossible to see into. Kasey pulled open the front door and was greeted with the scent of cigarette smoke faintly in the air. People filled the tables and seemed content.

The saloon was set up like a square with another smaller square attached to it and set up higher. Behind the bar, Kasey saw a door that probably led to the kitchen. A hallway had been built next to what Kasey assumed was a small kitchen behind the bar. Kasey wasn't sure what the hallway let to, probably bathrooms. It was awkward just standing there so everyone could see her feeling out of place.

She looked around and saw Aiden with Johnny sitting at the bar, talking to an older female bartender. She was almost Kasey's five foot nine with light brown hair, styled straight and away from her face, cut just below her shoulders. The bartender looked to be in her late forties, maybe early fifties. She wasn't a heavy set woman, but she did have meat on her bones. Her attire was a simple dark tank tap, under an unbuttoned long sleeve shirt, and a pair of jeans. She had the sleeves rolled up and Kasey assumed she worse biker boots to complete the ensemble. Kasey had the feeling it wouldn't be wise to get on the bartender's bad side.

Kasey walked right up behind the brothers. The bartender stopped talking and smiled at Kasey. Apparently Kasey had just ended whatever conversation they were having.

"Hi," the bartender greeted kindly. Aiden and Johnny turned around in their chairs.

"Oh Kasey," Aiden said faking surprise.

"Kasey this is Sue," Johnny said introducing the bartender. "Sue owns the Hideout. Sue this is Kasey."

"Nice to meet you," Sue said to Kasey.

"You too," Kasey returned.

"So thanks for just letting me sleep," Kasey said, punching Aiden lightly in the arm. Aiden smiled. "You just looked so peaceful and quiet," Aiden told her. "Didn't want to end that."

Kasey smiled that forced smile she had become so used to giving Aiden. "So how long have you guys been in here?" Kasey asked.

"About twenty minutes. Just catching up," Johnny told her. "By the way, where is Travis?"

Kasey saw Aiden turn away as he took a big drink of his beer.

"He's up north a ways, checking out a few werewolf stories that have been floating around," Sue said. "Might just be pranks, kids looking to scare the old people. And yes Aiden I saw that look."

"Huh?" Aiden asked as if he hadn't heard. "Don't worry I told Travis if you hit him then he probably had it coming. That kid was always too good at cards," she said with a smile.

Kasey liked Sue. If she had to pick a mother, Kasey would have picked one like Sue. She was strong but kind and fair. "So what can I do for you guys tonight?" Sue asked, changing the subject to Aiden's relief.

"We need a couple rooms," said Aiden. "We drove straight from Pennsylvania so I'm tired."

"I slept for a whole day?" Kasey asked, completely surprised.

"Yeah," Aiden answered, not liking being interrupted.

"Well I gotta couple rooms in the back," Sue told them.

"Down the hall past the bathrooms on the left. You boys know your way around. But I don't know how much sleep you'll get. Walls are thin and it'll be loud in here for a while."

"Great," Aiden said sarcastically.

"Fine with me," Kasey said with cheer.

"Thanks Sue," Johnny said for all three of them.

They all went back outside to grab an overnight bag. Kasey's hand had just touched the backseat when she said "I don't have anything" in a bit of a dazed tone.

"What?" Aiden asked as he and Johnny each got a bag for themselves.

Kasey took her hand from the handle and looked at both of them.

"I don't have anything," she repeated. "No bag, no clothes, not even a stupid toothbrush. How ridiculous."

"Don't worry Kasey," Johnny said. "You can get some stuff tomorrow." "And we know how to make a few fake I.D.s," Aiden pointed out. Aiden's humor brought her back and she smiled.

Kasey walked back inside, no bag in her hand, but a faded grin on her face. Walking down the hallway, Kasey found that it turned down to another hallway. This one looked like it wasn't for the public. She guessed it was probably the hallway of rooms that Kasey was looking for. Kasey walked down the hallway and opened a door to one of the rooms. It was mostly bare except for a small bed in a corner, a nightstand next to it, and a chair in another corner. The room would have been cramped for a person who lived regularly in it.

Yet the size of the room didn't matter too much to Kasey. In some way it felt more like home than anything else had in the past few weeks. Kasey was glad for that comfort. She sat down on the bed and found it to be very springy, but not was impossible for Kasey. She had been asleep for a day and now she was wide awake.

Kasey got up and walked out of her room. She walked down the hallway out to the bar and saw Aiden making himself comfortable at a table in the back room, probably playing poker. Walking back down the hallway away from the noise, Kasey passed her room and went on to the door next to it. She knocked on it softly three times. Johnny answered it like Kasey expected and invited her in. He sat on one of the two beds in the room and Kasey sat on the other facing him.

"So what's up?" Johnny asked.

"Nothing. I just can't sleep right now," Kasey answered.

"Oh yeah," said Johnny. Kasey looked around and saw the room Johnny shared with Aiden was no more decorated than her own.

"What about you?" Kasey asked, turning back to him. Johnny looked into her warm brown eyes as he spoke.

"Just relaxing," he said.

"Why aren't you out there cleaning out wallets with Aiden?" Kasey said with a sarcastic tone. Johnny laughed.

"Aiden's 'Mr. Social'," Johnny told her.

"Oh. Thought so," Kasey said.

"Yeah, Aiden describes me as the tall, dark, and nerdy book reading type," said Johnny. "Gotta love that humor."

Now Kasey was the one to laugh.

After a while the room grew quiet, neither one knowing what to talk about. Johnny picked up the gun he had just been cleaning and continued to clean it.

A question came to Kasey's mind. "So how did you guys get into..." Kasey started to say.

"Hunting?" Johnny finished as he looked up at Kasey.

"Yeah," she said.

Johnny finished cleaning the gun, got up to put it away, and sat back down before he started talking again.

Looking Kasey seriously in the eyes Johnny asked, "Are you sure you want to know?" Kasey hesitated.

Did she really want to know the truth about Aiden and Johnny, about their past? They were hunters and from what she could tell they probably had a skeleton or two in their family closet.

Her curiosity got the better, Kasey wanted to know.

"Yes," said Kasey, looking Johnny dead in the eye.

He took a deep breath before he began. "Aiden and I had a brother. His name was Eric. He was two years older than Aiden and four years older than me. He was our parent's oldest kid.

"Eric was a little shorter than I am now, same build as Aiden, but with black hair.

"Our dad walked out on us when I was two years old, leaving my mother alone to raise three boys. So Eric became the 'man of the house' and helped to raise me and Aiden.

"He taught us how to defend ourselves and be strong. He was a great guy, always watching us and taking care of our mom. The kids in high school liked him too. He became a varsity football player and ran in track.

"Then he started to change, hanging with a different crowd. My mom just thought he was going through a phase, it being his senior year. He would go out at night and wouldn't come home until morning. We started to worry about him. When my mom would try to talk to him about it, Eric would just brush her off. He was becoming more detached from us."

As Johnny spoke his voice grew heavier. Maybe Kasey shouldn't have asked, but if Johnny was going to talk, Kasey wouldn't stop him now. "Then it seemed to get worse. He was rarely at home and when he was Eric wouldn't talk to any of us. Aiden and I thought he was on drugs but mom wouldn't believe it. She said Eric was just having a hard time because our dad wasn't around.

"This guy started to come around asking for Eric. He wore all black, even in the dead of summer. Aiden told him to stay away but we would see him hanging around the neighborhood.

"Eric disappeared for a week after we told him about the guy. Our mom almost had a breakdown. I used to hear her crying at night.

"Finally Eric came back. He had a black eye along with bruises and cuts over his body. Mom went to the store to get bandages and stuff to clean him up. Aiden and I cornered him and demanded that Eric tell us what was going on. Eric said he wouldn't say anything and that it was better if we didn't know.

"Everything that happened, I remember clearly, but I wish I didn't. Aiden looked behind me and his jaw dropped. An expression of anger and hatred covered Eric's face.

"I turned around and the creep from before was standing behind me, as if he had just appeared out of thin air. I still remember the evil smile he gave Eric.

"Aiden and I were suddenly thrown and pinned against opposite walls, but nothing had touched us. The guy walked forward to Eric, who hadn't moved.

"He said 'This is what happens when you hurt my kind' loud enough so we all could hear, like a warning. Eric doubled over in pain, like he had been hit with a sledge hammer, but the guy hadn't laid a finger on him.

"Aiden and I both knew there was something more and that this wasn't an ordinary drug dealer.

"Our mom came in and the guy killed her instantly, sending a knife flying at her heart. He had barely moved a muscle. We all screamed out as she hit the floor. None of us could believe that it happened and that she was dead. Aiden was in shock. I could feel tears running down my face. Eric lay on his hands and knees, still in pain. The guy...he just laughed, long and loud. I've never been so angry in my life as in that moment.

"If the guy had been watching, he would have seen Eric pull out the gun from behind his back. Eric pulled the trigger, shooting the guy in the chest and head. The guy staggered but managed to backhand Eric hard enough into a wall."

Johnny paused, finding it hard to go on. "He had hit Eric hard enough to snap his neck and kill him. The guy fell to his knees, something dark, like a black cloud came out of the guy and flew from the house. Aiden and I fell to the ground. I ran and called 9-1-1. Aiden checked to see if they were all dead. They were and we couldn't do anything about it.

"The cops came. Aiden told them the guy knocked us both out and neither of us remembered anything. I went along with the story. We were told we were going to be separated and put into foster care.

"Aiden wouldn't have that so he emptied all the bank accounts, took Eric's Mustang and we left in the night and haven't been back since."

Kasey could barely believe what she had just heard. It was too much and seemed impossible. Yet the things she had seen in the past week made it seem real.

After a few silent moments, Johnny continued on. "We met people along the way, hunter who taught us everything we know. I guess Aiden and I made it our mission to save people from supernatural things and the suffering we went through. We've been hunting things ever since. Six long years."

Six years! Kasey thought to herself.

"That's almost half of your life!" Kasey said loudly. Johnny nodded his head.

"Sometimes it is," he said. Johnny's story filled Kasey's heart with sadness.

It was amazing that despite what the brothers went through, they were still very sane. It also explained Aiden's protective behavior. Kasey looked down, away from Johnny's face.

"I'm sorry," he said. "I shouldn't have told you that."

"No, it's alright," said Kasey.

Johnny got up off of the bed and found another gun to clean. He sat down again, unloaded it, and took the gun apart and started to clean.

Kasey watched him in silence. "Have you ever tried to find your dad?" Kasey asked. Her voice was still looked up but kept cleaning the gun. His face became darker, more serious.

"About two years before our brother and mother died, when I was about twelve, we tracked him down. Without telling our mother of course. It took a few months but we found him in California," said Johnny.

"We left him a message but he uh...he never called us back." Johnny looked back down at the gun as he cleaned it.

"Great guy," Johnny commented with heavy sarcasm.

"I'm sorry Johnny," said Kasey.

Johnny looked back up. "It's alright," said Johnny. "You can't miss what you've never had."

As soon as the words left Johnny's mouth, he regretted them. Kasey saw the look on Johnny's face.

"You'd be surprised," Kasey said calmly.

"I didn't mean it like that Kasey," Johnny said. He felt like an idiot.

Kasey just brushed it off. "It's alright. I know what you meant," said Kasey.

Johnny gave a little smile and finished cleaning the gun. He sat back down and focused on Kasey.

"So you haven't been able to remember anything else?" Johnny asked quietly.

"No nothing," Kasey answered. She got up and walked to the small table in the room covered with Aiden and Johnny's arsenal. She ran her fingers along the handles of the assorted guns and knives. The handles were smooth under her touch.

"Your case must have been worse than the doctor originally thought," Johnny commented.

"I guess so," Kasey said, still looking at the various weapons. Kasey didn't turn around to look at Johnny. Instead she continued to study the small arsenal silently. Johnny finished cleaning the gun and put it away. He looked to Kasey.

"If I remember right, Sue has usually got a knife or gun hidden under your bed just in case," Johnny told her.

Kasey laughed. Part of her wasn't surprised that in a place like this, there would be a trick or two around every corner.

The door opened and Aiden stepped in the room with a big smile on his face, the obvious sign of victory in his poker games. The smile on Aiden's face changed to a look of confusion as he noticed that Kasey too was in the room.

"What's going on?" Aiden asked with a smile. The suspicion was almost tangible in his voice. Kasey rolled her eyes and saw Johnny shake his head. Aiden had a way of twisting situations around to make them seem worse than they actually were.

"Get your mind out of the gutter," Kasey said to him. Aiden chuckled.

"Whatever you say," he said.

Kasey sighed and said, "Alright well, I'm gonna go to bed before Aiden's imagination runs away with him any farther." Johnny smiled and Aiden's faded away.

"Night Kasey," Johnny said.

"Night Johnny," she said back. Aiden gave her a forced grin, still annoyed from her last insult. Kasey smiled back sweetly and walked out of the room.

She looked down the hallway at the bar and saw it was all but deserted. Kasey opened her door and fell onto her bed fast asleep.


	5. Kasey Gets Settled

Kasey awoke the next morning groggy and with a foul taste in her mouth. She had no idea what time it was.

Blinking away the remainder of sleep from her conscious, Kasey propped herself up on the old bed. She had a momentary lapse in memory but then it all came back to her.

Aiden and Johnny had taken her out of the hospital yesterday and she had left that sleepy little town behind her, still filled with so many unanswered questions. They had traveled from Pennsylvania, without stopping to the Hideout where Kasey had just woken up.

Kasey sat on the edge of her bed, leaning over with her hands on her knees, just thinking.

How was it possible the demon knew about my nightmares? Kasey asked herself for the millionth time.

Pushing herself up off the bed Kasey got up and walked out of her room and out to the bar.

No one else was awake yet, Kasey had the place to herself. It was insaely quiet, so different from the chatty atmosphere the night beofre.

Kasey walked to the backroom, the part of the saloon she hadn't seen entirely.

It was a simple room. Two of the walls had small windows on them. A dartboard had been hung on one of the walls, with big gouges on it. A few arcade games had been put in across from the dartboard. Kasey wasn't surprised when she saw the fake plastic guns in the hold, she knew that in a place like it was guaranteed to be a hunting game. Tables and chairs had been set up on the other side of the room for poker games. Other than that, the room was pretty bare, except for the few alcohol advertisements Kasey saw hanging on the walls.

Kasey sat down in one of the chairs and could only imagine the dozens of people who had sat in it years before her.

Looking out the window Kasey saw that the yard behind the bar was empty. she highly doubted anyone ever went back there. The lot was wooded in surrounded by tall pine trees. Sunlight cut through the branches to illuminate the small area. It was nice here. kasey could almost see herself living in a small place like this.

Kasey heard a floorboard creak behind her and she whipped her head around to face the noise.

Sue was standing there taking a drink from the cup she was holding in her hand. She was already dressed for the day.

"Morning," she greeted brightly.

"Good morning," Kasey returned a little softer.

Sue pulled out a chair next to Kasey's and sat down.

"I'm guessing by your choice of pajamas that you han't got anything of your own," Sue said out loud with a grin.

Kasey looked down and smiled. She had worn her only outfit she owned to bed.

"Yeah. That's right," Kasey said. She felt a little embarassed.

"The boys told me about your situation last night before you came in," Sue told her.

Kasey looked betrayed.

"Don't worry," said sue. "They didn't tell me everything, just that you might be in trouble and that you need some help."

Kasey nodded and waited for Sue to continue.

"So I figure we can work something out," said Sue optimistically.

"What have you got in mind?" Kasey asked.

"You need a place to stay and you need money. I just happend to need a person who can keep the place clean around her. Travis is gone so that makes it harder for me. Would you be interested in working here?" Sue offered.

"But you barely know me," Kasey pointed out.

Sue chuckled. "Well I've been known to take a chance. And I see a lot of myself in you," she told her.

"In what ways?" asked Kasey.

"Strong, independent, bit of a temper when the occasion calls for it, hates to let others do the job without her," said Sue, naming off qualities that sounded familiar. Kasey smiled.

"Yeah that sounds about right," said Kasey.

"Thought so," said Sue. "So have we got a deal? You work here for money and a place to sleep."

"Deal," Kasey answered.  
Sue held out her hand and Kasey shook it. Sue finished her coffee. She looked down at Kasey's clothes.

"I put some old clothes of mine that'll probably fit you in the room with the sign that says 'Employees Only.' It's the room next to Aiden and Johnny's. There's a full bathroom so you can get cleaned up. I just put up the sign to keep the customoers out. You can use it whenever you need to," Sue told her. She got up and started to leave the room. Sue stopped and turned around to face Kasey.

"Place opens at noon," she told Kasey.

Kasey nodded.

"Welcome to the Hideout kid," said Sue with a smile.

Smiling back, Kasey watched Sue walk away.

Kasey walked to the room marked "Employees Only." It was a small bathroom, but it was complete with a shower, sink, and toilet. Kasey showered quickly and felt refreshed. The clothes Sue had left were a comfy pair of jeans, a black tank top, a blue and green plaid shirt that fit nicely. She decided to roll up the sleeves and button up most of the shirt. Kasey didn't want to give people a reason to stare. There was nothing Kasey could really do with her hair so she brushed it and let it dry in natural soft waves.

Grabbing her stuff, Kasey finished in the bathroom and opened the door to leave when she walked right into Aiden, who was trying to get in. Her forehead hit Aiden's chin. They took a small step back from each other. Kasey held her forehand.

"Ow," she said.

Aiden laughed. "Sorry," he apologized.

"It's alright," said Kasey as she put her hand back to her side and walked around Aiden. She could see his strong chest through the simple white t-shirt he was wearing and the shirt cuffs showed off his arms nicely. Kasey looked away, hoping Kasey hadn't noticed.

Kasey threw her stuff into her room and walked out to the bar.

Sue was stocking the bar with various beers when Kasey walked in. Tossing Kasey a rag, Sue told Kasey to start wiping down tables and as Kasey worked, Sue explained the things she had to do when she worked for Sue and the things she should avoid. It didn't sound too bad, Sue gave Kasey enough freedoms in the place.

Aiden came out of the bathroom and Kasey saw Johnny go in it. Aiden sat down at a barstool. He grabbed something, a necklace Kasey hand't noticed, and put it on around his neck. Aiden looked over at Kasey who had just finished cleaning the tables.

"So she's got you working already," Aiden said, wanting to laugh.

"That's right," Kasey said with an over cheery smile.

Sue finished stocking the bar and stood up. She wiped off her hands and looked at Aiden.

"Well since you've got nothing to do, you can go downstairs and grab me a few cases of beer. We're running low up here," Sue told him.

"Actually I've got to-"

"Go," said Sue, cutting him off mid-sentence.

Aiden shook his head but walked down the hallway.

"First door on the right," sue said loudly. Aiden gave no reply but Kasey heard a door open. Sue smiled and grabbed a few clean glasses to put away.

"Kase, switch the sign would ya?" Sue asked, nodding to the sign on the door.

Kasey walked to the door and flipped the sign over to say "Open" for whoever stopped in.

Johnny walked into the bar, his hair still dripping.

"Where's Aiden?" He asked.

"Downstairs bringing up a few cases," said Sue. "Why don't you go and help him out?"

"Yes ma'am," Johnny said, his answer not like Aiden's. Kasey waited until she heard Johnny going down the steps.

"It's funny how different those two are," Kasey commented.

"Yeah they're a funny pair," Sue agreed. "But they're as close as brothers get."

"How long have you known them?" Kasey asked.

Sue thought for a moment. "Since Aiden was about sixteen years old so almost...seven years," she told Kasey.

"Time sure flies," said Sue shaking her head. "And those boys grew up fast."

Kasey could only imagine how young they were when they walked through the front door of the Hideout all those years ago.


	6. The Dance

The song in the jukebox stopped and another began to play. It was a slow song, something to dance to with a partner.

Kasey watched the couples on the dance floor as she swayed a bit to the gentle music. At that moment Kasey found herself wishing for someone to dance with.

"You look pretty funny dancing with yourself like that," a familiar voice joked.

Kasey hadn't realized she was moving that much. Of course she had been and of course the one person Kasey didn't want to see her did.

Turning around casually Kasey acted like she didn't know what Aiden was talking about. He had a grin on his face and a large wad of cash bulging in his hand that had to be his poker winnings.

"Looks like you struck gold," Kasey commented, trying to distract Aiden's attention.

"You could say that," he said, overly confident.

"I take it you wanna celebrate your victory?" Kasey assumed.

"Oh yeah," Aiden answered.

Kasey walked with him to the bar and Travis poured him a shot. He downed it in an instant.

The slow song ended and another one took its place.

Again Kasey's hips started swaying with the beat of the song.

"Come on," Aiden said, grabbing Kasey's hand and pulling her out to the dance floor. She resisted a bit but Aiden wasn't letting her go. They stopped in the middle of the few people on the floor and Kasey looked at Aiden, confused and wondering if this was his idea of a joke.

"Are you serious?" Kasey asked, not believing him.

"Yeah," Aiden said almost shocked Kasey didn't trust him.

"With you?" asked Kasey.

"I'm not as bad as you'd like to think," Aiden said, flashing that confident smile of his.  
"Right," said Kasey under her breath.

"Come on," Aiden said as if he hadn't heard Kasey's remark. Kasey became more nervous, afraid all the eyes in the room were watching her.

"I don't know how to dance," admitted Kasey in a whisper only Aiden could hear.

He just chuckled.

"It's alright," said Aiden. "Just put your right hand on my shoulder and I'll put my hand around your waist."

Kasey's skin seemed to tingle where Aiden's hand touched her.

"Just don't hit me," Aiden added with a nervous smile, only half kidding.

Kasey grinned at Aiden's words.

"Now I'm gonna take your hand in mine and we're just gonna...move from side to side," Aiden told her.

He slid his hand around Kasey's and held it close to his shoulder. Aiden gently pulled Kasey close and they started to move with the music.

Kasey kept looking at her feet, afraid they wouldn't go to the right spot.

Aiden took his hand from Kasey's waist and lifted her chin so she was facing him.

"Don't worry about it," said Aiden casually.

Kasey nodded and forced herself not to look at her feet. She couldn't look at Aiden, Kasey knew she would stumble or mess up and look like a fool. Instead Kasey  
shifted her eyes around the room, not actually paying attention to anything.

"Not so bad is it?" Aiden asked.

"No," answered Kasey. She said as little as possible, not wanting to get distracted.  
Kasey could smell the mix of soap and musky cologne Aiden was wearing. He smelled wonderful to Kasey's senses.

Suddenly Kasey wasn't sure whether Aiden moved closer or she had leaned in but she was resting her head gently against Aiden's cheek. She didn't jerk away and continued to dance. Kasey stopping holding her breath when Aiden didn't pull away either. Being this close to Aiden made Kasey feel like small bursts of lightning were running through Kasey. Aiden silently inhaled the scent of coconut shampoo in Kasey's hair.

They continued to dance to the whiney country tune, though Aiden despised the entire genre.  
The moment, the song, the dance, they all felt right, which was something that Kasey hadn't felt once since she woke up with her memory gone.

Everything seemed to float away with the song's gentle tune. Those nine precious years taken out of her life and the things the demon did when it possessed her seemed to fade as Aiden held onto her while they danced together.

Neither of them said a word as they danced slowly, taking their time moving.

Kasey wondered if Aiden had done this with any other girls before.

That was stupid. Kasey wanted to hit herself in the head.

This was Aiden. Of course he had done this before. He was the charmer type. Aiden told random girls anything and everyting they wanted to hear. Kasey told herself she was just the pit stop on the way to the next "fun time" and it was as simple as that. Kasey told herself she meant nothing to him and they were just having a quick dance.

Eventually the song ended. Kasey pulled away and looked at Aiden with a forced smile like they had only been two friends sharing a joke.

"Thanks," said Kasey, pouring on the cheer over her words, not letting it show how much the dance had effected her.  
Turning around, Kasey made her way back to the bar and she watched Aiden walk down the hallway, probably to his room. Kasey started to put beers into the refrigerator under the counter where no one would bother her.

Kasey lowered her head and closed her eyes. No one could see her unless they looked over the bar. She took a deep breath to calm her wild thoughts.

"You're right," a male voice said.

Kasey snapped her head up to see who had caught her off-guard.

Travis, she should have known.

"About what?" Kasey asked.

"There is absolutely nothing going on between you and him," Travis said sarcastically.

Kasey noticed he was looking past the bar, probably at the back room,  
eyeing up potential poker victims.

"Who?" Kasey asked as she went back to stocking the small refrigerator.

Travis laughed. "I'm supposed to believe that?" He gave Kasey a look of disbelief.  
"You and Aiden," said Travis.

"Yeah, don't actually know what you're talking about," Kasey told Travis as she picked up the empty box to take outside and throw in the garbage.

Travis laughed and shook his head as Kasey walked away.

Once Kasey had walked outside she dropped the box in the dumpster and leaned against the wall.

Travis was wrong, there isn't anything between us, Kasey thought. Aiden and I are just friends.


	7. Epilogue

Kasey walked back into the Hideout with a heavy heart and the tears brimming in her eyes threatening to spill over. She wiped them away with the back of her hand, afraid to admit that she was weak.

Someone with heavy footsteps started walking down the hallway. Wiping her eyes dry, Kasey hoped that whoever it was wouldn't have a chance at behind able to tell she had been crying.

Grabbing a chair, Kasey flipped upside down and put it up on the table. Kasey had a feeling the Hideout would be closing early tonight.

Travis came out of the hallway carrying boxes of beer. It seemed that life was already back to business as usual.

Kasey followed Travis behind the bar and grabbed a box to unload.

"So they're really gone," Travis said, almost amazed.

"Yeah," said Kasey. They continued to stock the bar in silence.

Kasey suddenly felt...emotionless. She didn't really know what to think. Part of her started to feel numb.

Then a thought struck her: Why am I acting like this? If he can just move on like that then so can I.

Anger started to slowly the void she had created in her heart. Kasey finished with one of the boxes and went outside to throw it in the dumpster. Slamming the door shut behind her, Kasey walked back inside to the bar.

Finding another box, Kasey began to unload it. She started to get a bit rough with the bottles. Shoving them next to each other, Kasey almost broke a few of the glass bottles.

"Are you alright?" Travis suddenly asked, knocking Kasey out of her bad mood for a minute.

"Yeah," she simply said.

"Right and those bottles aren't ready to break in your hands," Travis said sarcastically.

Kasey stopped stocking the bar and looked down at the floor, knowing what would come next.

"I'm sorry he's gone Kasey," Travis said as he too stopped and looked at her.

"Yeah well he had to go," Kasey said, acting like she was fine.

Kasey got up and walked around to the other side of the bar. She sat down on one of the stools. The stool next to her scraped against the floor as Travis pulled it out to sit down.

They said nothing for a few minutes. Kasey didn't want to talk and Travis knew he wasn't the best with words.

"Why don't you just tell him how you feel?" Travis asked bluntly, finally breaking the silence.

"Because it doesn't matter," answered Kasey flatly.

"You don't know that for sure," Travis said.

"Yeah," said Kasey. "I think I do."

They were quiet again. Kasey tried not to think about him but everything was so fresh in her mind.

"I saw the way you would look at him," Travis told her. "And how when you would look away, he would take a quick look at you. It reminded me of something, like I had seen those looks before."

Kasey turned to look at him, ready to hear the rest of Travis's observations.

"And just now I remembered where I had seen those familiar looks," said Travis.

Kasey waited.

"My parents," Travis finished.

Kasey was a bit shocked to say the least.

"There was love between them, like the spark between you and Aiden," Travis explained. "Even though you both lie through your teeth about it."

Kasey smiled.

"And I know I'm kind of an idiot when it comes to the whole love thing, but I don't understand how you can just ignore that," Travis said.

"I have to. We lead different lives," Kasey told Travis the lie, hoping he would just accept it.

"Whatever," Travis said, not believing her and baffled at the same time.

Travis started to get up. "You should really call him and talk to Aiden about it," he said.

"I can't," Kasey said softly. She looked at Travis and got up from her stool. She walked outside to stand on the porch.

"I'm protecting him from me," Kasey whispered to herself.


End file.
